Enter Book Information Accurately
Complete guide for accurate book information entry. From ISBN search to manual entry and cover image addition.
What is Book Information?
Book information in Reading Forest includes the following fields:
- Title (Required) - Book name
- Author - Author name
- Pages - Total number of pages
- Publisher - Publisher name
- Cover Image - Book cover
Only the title is required. You can add or edit other information later.
ISBN Code Search (Recommended)
Searching by ISBN code automatically retrieves the book's basic information. This is the easiest and most accurate method.
About ISBN Codes
ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is printed near the barcode on the book's back or spine.
The ISBN is written below the barcode on the book's back cover as "ISBN978-4-...", etc.
Hyphens can be included or omitted when entering.
ISBN Search Steps
-
Open the "Add Book" dialog
You can open it using any of these methods:- From the menu, select [Edit]→[Add Book]
- Click the button in the toolbar
- Keyboard shortcut Alt+N (same for Mac/Windows)
- In the ISBN code input field, enter the 13 or 10-digit number below the barcode
- Click the "Search" button
- Title, author, page count and other information are automatically filled in
- Review and edit if needed, then click [OK]
If your book shows "ISBN978-4-04-112345-6" on the back cover,
enter "978-4-04-112345-6" or "9784041123456".
Information Automatically Retrieved by ISBN
ISBN search automatically fills in:
- Title
- Author name
- Page count (if available)
- Publisher
- Cover image (if available)
Some older books or publications may not be in the database.
In that case, search by title or enter the information manually.
Enter Information Manually
If you can't find an ISBN or want to register custom information, you can enter it manually.
Field Descriptions
Or record each author separately
Recommended Fields for Manual Entry
You don't need to fill in all fields. We recommend at minimum:
- Title (Required)
- Author (Helpful for later searching)
- Pages (Useful for tracking reading progress)
You can enter minimal information initially and add more detailed information later.
Search by Title
If you know the title, you can search for books by title.
Title Search Steps
- In the "Add Book" dialog, select the title input field
- Enter the book title (partial matches work)
- Click "Search"
- Select the correct book from search results
- Click [OK]
Sometimes multiple books have the same title (new editions, different publishers, etc.).
Check the author name and publisher to select the correct book.
Add Cover Image
Adding a cover image makes your book list more visually appealing and easier to browse.
How to Add Cover Image
- Display the book detail screen
- Click "Edit" in the book information area
- In the "Cover Image" section, click "Choose File"
- Select an image from your computer or phone's image folder
- Click "Save"
How to Obtain Cover Images
You can obtain cover images using these methods:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Photograph the Book | Quick and easy to prepare | May be difficult to view depending on angle |
| Web Search | Often finds high-quality images | Need to respect copyright |
| Publisher's Website | Official cover image confirmation | Takes a bit longer |
| Auto-retrieve via ISBN | Effortless | Not available for all books |
Cover images should be JPEG, PNG, or WebP format with recommended size around 300×450 pixels.
Be mindful of file size for large images.
Cover Image Display Status
Different displays appear depending on the cover image status:
| Display | Status | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| No cover | Cover image URL is not entered | Add a cover image using the methods above |
| File not found | No image file at the specified URL (404 error) | Verify the URL is correct or set a different image URL |
| Access denied | No permission to access the image (403 error) | Use a publicly accessible image or upload your own image |
| Image is corrupted | File exists but cannot be loaded as an image | Use a different image file |
| Load error | Cannot verify details due to external server restrictions | Consider downloading the image to your own storage and re-uploading |
Images from external sites like Amazon may become broken links over time. For long-term storage, we recommend downloading the image and uploading it to your own cloud storage, then using that URL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I enter multiple authors?
A: There are several ways:
(1) Separate with comma: "Author A, Author B"
(2) Separate with slash: "Author A / Author B"
(3) Enter only the main author
Any method works. Choose what's easiest for you to search later.
Q: I don't know the page count
A: The page field can be left blank. You can add it later.
However, entering page count makes tracking reading progress easier.
Q: The book is old and has no ISBN
A: Books without ISBN can be entered manually.
Title and author alone are sufficient.
Q: Is the ISBN for e-books the same as print books?
A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Generally, e-book versions are assigned different ISBNs than print versions.
If you can't find the e-book ISBN, enter the information manually.
Q: How do I distinguish between multiple versions of the same book (new edition, etc.)?
A: Add "new edition" or "2nd edition" to the title for easy distinction.
Example: "Norwegian Wood (New Edition)"
Q: Can I use cover images I find through web search?
A: Generally fine for personal use, but please respect copyright.
We recommend using images from official publisher websites.